Apparatus for the discharge of condensation water



Nov. 10, 1959 1 .DoMNlcK A2,912,166

APPARATUS Fox THE: DISCHARGE oF coNnENsATIoN WATER Filed April 2o. 195sl Annrmegs United States Patent tice APPARATUS FOR THE DISCHARGE F vvCNDJENSATION WATER Ludwig Domnick, Bielefeld, Germany Application April20, '1956, Serial No. 579,658 l Claims priority, application GermanyApril 23, 1955 Z Claims. (Cl. 236-59) This invention relates to anapparatus for the discharge of condensation water and refers moreparticularly to water-discharging devices provided with bimetallicexpanding elements which are subject to the operating pressure and whichare connected with a valve closing against the direction of iiow of thecondensation water through the apparatus.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus ofthe described type which is capable of operating with a very great valvestroke while cold.

Another object is the provision of a valve which will respond morequickly and more precisely to small variations in pressure andtemperature than water-discharging devices having bimetallic elementsand known in prior al1.

Yet another object is the provision of a construction wherein by apreselected combination of bimetallic discs o f different dimensions,the characteristic line of the bimetallic column can be most effectivelyadapted to all possible operational requirements.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of anapparatus of the described type, the replacement of the various parts ofwhich is considerably simplied due to the fact that all the parts of theapparatus, with the exception of the bimetallic elements are constructeduniformly for all possible operational require- .ments- Other objects ofthe persent invention will become apparent in the course of thefollowing specification.

The objects of the present invention may be realized through theprovision of an apparatus wherein two or more bimetallic discs or discpackages are mounted upon a valve rod or shaft connected with the valverod, and are located between a stop consisting of a screw or the like,which is mounted upon one end of the supporting member carrying thebimetallic elements, and another bearing member located in the housingbetween the valve and the bimetallic elements. The bimetallic elementsare mounted loosely upon the support and are so arranged in relation toeach other that adjacent bimetallic discs or disc packages bend or curvein opposed directions as the result of variations in temperature.

The construction is preferably such that the valve and the operatingmeans containing the bimetallic elements forma single structural unitwhich may be inserted as a whole into the housing, and which whenrequired, can be easily removed and replaced by another unit.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,showing, by way of example, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through an apparatus constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention and shows thevalve -in the closed position.

Figure 2 is a similar section through a somewhat differently constructedapparatus.

The apparatus shown in Figure l has a housing 1 prol Patented Nov, 10,19.59

vided with an inlet tube joint Zand an outlet tube joint 3. The outlet 3extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing while the Yinlet 2may extend at right angles thereto. The housing 1 has an opening whichis located opposite the outlet 3, and which is provided with inner screwthreads. A cover fiis screwed into the housing 1 and closes thisopening.

The housing 1 has another threaded portion located within the housingclose to the outlet 3 and a member 5 has a threaded portion which isscrewed into the lastrnentioned threaded portion of the housing. Themember 5 constitutes the valve seat of the apparatus and has a hexagonalflange portion 11 as well as an inner cylindrical portion 6. The valvebody 5 has an inner passage 9 which receives the valve rod 7.Furthermore, the valve body 5 is provided with a plurality of passages 8uniformly distributed about the circumference of the body .portion 6 andconnecting the interior of the housing 1 with the annular space 9enclosing the valve rod 7.

The outer end of the valve seat 5 is adapted to form a seat for aspherical valve body 10 which is carried upon one end of the valve rod7, and which is located within the outlet 3.

Due yto the provision of hexagonal lange 11, anoperator after removing,the cover 4 can easily insert a socket wrench into the interior of thehousing 1 and turn the flange 1,1, so that the valve seat 5 can beconveniently screwed into the housing l or replaced if necessary.

A disc 12 enclosing the valve seat 5 and located between Ithe ange 11and an inner wall of the housing 1, is used as a seal.

In the construction shown in Figure l the portion 6 of the valve seat 5is provided with axially extending screw threads and a sleeve 32provided with outer screw threads is screwed into the seat portion 6.The lsleeve 32 is integral Vor firmly connected with a plate 13constitutinga bearing member which is located within `the housing 1beyond the seat portion 6.

The inner end of the valve rod 7 carries a stop 14 which, in the exampleillustrated, consists of a screw having nuts screwed upon the threadedend of the valve rod 7.

In accordance with the present invention round bimetallic discs 15 areloosely mounted upon the valvefrod 7 between the nuts 14 and the plate13. The bimetallic discs 15 are so arranged that when temperature isincreased within the interior of the housing 1 the discs 15 will becurved in opposite directions as is indicated in the drawing. Thisincrease in the curvature of the discs 15 will tend to move the valverod 7 toward the interior of the housing and thus press the sphericalvalve body 10 against the valve seat 5.

As soon as the temperature within the housing 1 drops due to thepresence of condensation water or the like, the curvature of thebimetallic discs 15 will decrease and the force with which the valvebody 10 is pressed against the Valve seat 5 will become smaller untilthe pressure of the condensate will open the valve, so that it will beable to leave the housing 1 through the passages 8 and 9, the spacebetween the valve seat `5 and the valve body '10, and the outlet 3.However, as soon as steam again penetrates into the interior of thehousing 1, the temperature within the housing 1 will increase and thecurvature of the bimetallic discs will increase also, so that the Valvebody 10 will be pressed against the valve seat S and steam will beprevented from leaving the housing 1.

The plate 13, the diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter ofthe bimetallic discs 15, is provided with bore holes or similar recesses16. In the example illustrated there are three bore holes 16 which arespaced one from the other by and which are located close to the outercircumference of the plate 13. The cover 4 carries a shaft 17 whichextends through the cover 4 and 3 is in alignment with the valve rod 7.A stuffing box 18 encloses the shaft 17 and serves as a seal. The outerend 19 of the shaft 17 has the form of a square pin. The inner end ofthe shaft 17 is rmly connected with three rods 20 which are locatedwithin the housing 1. The rods 20 are shifted in relation to each otherby 120 and extend parallel to the valve rod 7. The free ends of the rods20 extend through the bore holes 16 provided in the plate 13.

It is apparent that by engaging a tool with the end 19 of the shaft 17,the shaft 17 will be rotated and due to the engagement of the rods 20with the plate 13 the plate 13 will rotate along with the shaft 17.Thus, the sleeve 32 which is integral with the plate 13 may be screwedmore or less deeply into the valve seat portion 6. Due to thisarrangement the bimetallic elements 15 may be set to another outertemperature of the condensation water or to a different closing pressurewhile the apparatus continues to be operated, whenever such adjustmentis found advisable or necessary.

The cover 4 carries or is integral with a cylindrical sleeve 21 whichencloses the outer end 19 of the shaft 17 and the stuing box 18. Thesleeve or flange 21 has outer screw threads and is closed by a cap orcover 22 which is screwed upon the sleeve 21.

The operation of the described apparatus is apparent from the abovedescription. The bimetallic elements 15 will open and close the valve 5,10 automatically, depending upon the temperature conditions prevailingwithin the housing 1. The adjustment or setting of the apparatus whileit is being operated, is greatly simplified through the use of the shaftend 19. The unit containing the bimetallic elements 15 can beconveniently removed as a whole whenever this is required.

Figure 2 shows a somewhat differently constructed apparatus having ahousing 1a provided with an inlet 2a and an outlet 3a. In thisconstruction the cover 4a is bolted to a flange of the housing 1a.

The valve rod 7a carries the valve body 10a which cooperates with thevalve seat a. In this construction the bimetallic elements 15a consistof a plurality of discs of different diameters, each element beingformed of three discs. These discs are arranged in such manner that whenheated they will curve in the same direction. The concave surfaces ofthe largest bimetallic discs, as well as the convex surfaces of thesmallest discs, are directed toward each other. Such or similarconstruction is advantageous whenever valve operating forces ofsubstantial magnitude are required.

In accordance with this embodiment the bimetallic elements 15a areenclosed in a cage-like structure which includes plate 13a, a secondplate 24, and rods 23 interconnecting the two plates. The plate 13a islocated between the inner portion 6a of the valve body 5a and thebimetallic elements 15a. The rods 23 extend parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the valve rod 7a. The plate 24 has a threaded central openingwhich receives the end of a bolt 25, the head of which is provided witha transverse slot 26. The bolt 25 is supported by a plate 27 which isheld tightly upon its outer circumference between the cover v4 and theadjacent flange of the housing 1.

The slot 26 of the bolt 25 receives a narrow elongated end 28 of a shaft29, which is enclosed by the stufling box 18a, which is carried by thecover 4a. The outwardly projecting end of the shaft 29 carries atransverse slot 30 which is adapted to receive the end of a screwdriver.

A pin 31 is located parallel to the bolt 25 and to the side thereof. Thepin 31 is mounted in the disc 27 and projects into a correspondinglylocated bore hole of the plate 24 so as to prevent the rotation of theplate 24 within the housing 1a.

This construction operates as follows:

When the operator turns, by means of a screwdriver, the shaft 29, theend 2S which is located within the slot 26 of the screw 25, will causethe screw 25 to rotate along with the shaft 29. The pin 31 will preventthe rotation of the plate 24. However, due to the rotation of the bolt25, the cage-like structure consisting of the plates 24 and 13a and therods 23, will be shifted in the longitudinal direction of the valve rod7a, so that the position of the bimetallic elements 15a can beconveniently adjusted.

In this construction the outer end of the shaft 29 and the stung box 18aare enclosed by a cylindrical flange 21a of the cover 4a, and are closedby a cover or cap 22a.

It is apparent that in this construction, as well as in the previouslydescribed one, the steering device containing the bimetallic elementsforms with the valve a single structural unit which may be inserted as awhole into the valve housing 1, and if necessary may be quickly removedand replaced by a different one.

It is apparent that the examples shown above have been given solely byway of illustration and not by way of limitation. For example, it ispossible to mount the bimetallic discs not directly upon the valve rod 7but upon a separate shaft connected with the valve rod. All such andother variations and modications are to be included within the scope ofthe present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. An apparatus for the discharge of condensation water, said apparatuscomprising a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a threaded portionbetween said inlet and said outlet and adjacent said outlet, a memberhaving a front portion threaded into said threaded portion of thehousing and further having formed therein a rearwardly extending passagecommunicating with said inlet, said front portion constituting a valveseat, a spherical valve body located in said outlet and adapted to closesaid valve seat, a valve rod having one end carrying said valve body,said valve rod extending through said passage and being movablelongitudinally in said passage in a direction opposed to the directionof flow from the inlet to the outlet to cause said valve body to closesaid valve seat, a stop upon the other end of said valve rod, a bearingmember enclosing said valve rod and located intermediate the endsthereof, a plurality of bimetallic elements, each of said bimetallicelements consisting of at least two round centrally perforatedbimetallic discs, said bimetallic elements being loosely and freelymounted upon said valve rod between said stop and said bearing memberand being in engagement with each other, said bimetallic elementsbending in opposite directions during increase in temperature, a covercarried by said housing, a shaft carried by said cover and extending inaxial alinement with said valve rod, said shaft having an outer squareend, and calibrating rods connected with the opposite inner end of saidshaft and extending through bore holes formed in said bearing member,said bearing member having an integral sleeve portion threadedlyconnected with the first-mentioned member, whereby a turning of saidrods adjusts the setting of the apparatus.

2. An apparatus for the discharge of condensation water, said apparatuscomprising a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a threaded portionbetween said inlet and said outlet and adjacent said outlet, a memberhaving a front portion threaded into said threaded portion of thehousing and further having formed therein a rearwardly extending passagecommunicating with said inlet, said front portion constituting a valveseat, a spherical valve body located in said outlet and adapted to closesaid valve seat, a valve rod having one end carrying said valve body,said valve rod extending through said passage and being movablelongitudinally in said passage in a direction opposed to the directionof ow from the inlet to the outlet to cause said valve body to closesaid valve seat, a stop upon the other end of said valve rod, a bearingmember enclosing said valve rod and located intermediate the endsthereof, a plurality of bimetallic elements, each of said bimetallicelements consisting of at least two round centrally perforatedbimetallic discs, said bimetallic elements being loosely and freelymounted upon said valve rod between said stop and said bearing memberand being in engagement with each other, said bimetallic elementsbending in opposite directions during increase in temperature, a covercarried by said housing, a plate engaging an inner surface of `saidcover, a bolt supported by said plate and extending in axial aiinementwith said valve rod, said bolt having an outer slotted head, anotherplate having a threaded central opening receiving an end of said bolt,and a plurality of calibrating rods operatively interconnecting thesecond-mentioned plate and said bearing member, whereby a turning ofsaid rods adjusts the setting of the apparatus.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSWhittelsey Mar. l20, Bletz Dec. l, Appelberg Ian. i7, Semon et al Mar.26, Velan Feb. 24, Velan May 28,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 11, Y Great Britain Sept. 19,

